About Maria Portillo
Hi, I'm Maria
I don't teach English.
I help professionals find their voice in it
For over 30 years, I have worked at the intersection of language, leadership, and business — first as a corporate professional in multinational environments, then as a coach to the professionals who remind me of who I used to be. People who are exceptional at what they do, but who feel held back by the gap between their expertise and how they come across in English.
I understand your frustration, not because I've read about it, but because I've lived it. I know what it feels like to have a sharp mind and imprecise words.
My Story
From the
multinational companies
to the classroom
My career began not in language education, but in corporate operations and multinational business environments. I worked in leadership roles where English was the language of negotiation, strategy, and high-stakes decision-making. I saw firsthand how the most capable professionals could be sidelined, not by a lack of ideas, but by a lack of linguistic control.
Over time, I realised that what these professionals needed wasn't more grammar lessons or vocabulary lists. They needed a structured system for professional communication, one that treated English as a tool for influence, not just information exchange.
That realisation became the foundation of everything I do today. I built The English Coach around one belief: that fluency is not about knowing more words — it's about having the control, clarity, and confidence to perform under pressure.
My philosophy
Four beliefs that shape
every program.
1 Fluency is control, not speed.
The ability to speak slowly, precisely, and with purpose is more powerful than speaking quickly with filler words. Real fluency means choosing exactly the right word, every time.
2 The problem is rarely vocabulary.
Most advanced professionals already know enough words. What's missing is the structural confidence to deploy them under pressure, in meetings, negotiations, and real-time conversations.
3 Language coaching is performance coaching.
How you speak in a board meeting is as much about delivery, pacing, and positioning as it is about grammar. I treat communication as a professional skill, like leadership or negotiation.
4 Progress must be structured and measurable.
Vague "practice" doesn't build competence. Every session, every exercise, every lesson in my programs is designed with a specific professional outcome in mind.
My Experience & Background
Built on real
business experience & education
30+ yr - Professional English Coaching
1:1 and group coaching for technical professionals and executives
Corp. - Multinational Corporate Experience
Leadership and operations roles in international business environments
IELTS - IELTS Preparation Specialist
Preparation for professional certification and academic entry
2020+ Online Course Creator
Creator of the IMPACT Framework course series on professional English
B2B - Corporate Training Partnerships
Delivery of tailored professional English programmes for companies
The English Coach was founded by Maria Teresa Portillo in 2020.
How I work
The IMPACT
approach
Every program I design follows the same underlying logic:
understand what holds you back, build structured habits to overcome it, and test those habits in realistic professional scenarios.
There are no shortcuts, but the progress is real and measurable.
01 Diagnose the Gap
We start by identifying exactly where your English breaks down in the specific situations that matter most to your career.
02 Build the Structure
Each course is designed to give you a reliable framework: sentence patterns, delivery strategies, and communication structures you can replicate under pressure.
03 Practice With Purpose
Every exercise simulates a real professional scenario. You'll practice presentations, negotiations, meetings, and difficult conversations not abstract grammar drills.
04 Measure Progress
Progress is never vague. You'll know exactly what you've improved, why it matters, and what to work on next at every stage of the program.